Docu series underscores value of human life

“INSIDE the Human Body” traces a baby’s journey from the womb to a mother’s arms.

Last April 8, we made it a point to catch the first telecast of the special medical docu series, “Inside the Human Body,” on Solar News Channel. It was a marvelous introduction to what is obviously a should-see show, so make sure you catch it when all four “chapters” are shown on “marathon replay” starting at 7 p.m. on April 23.

The first telecast, “Creation,” detailed the miracle of human conception and birth. With the deft and judicious use of digital visualization, the production taught viewers a lot about the male sperm cell, the female egg, and how the twain “meet and greet” to make unique human beings like you and me.

It was sobering to be told that, of the many millions of sperm cells that are produced each time a man ejaculates, only around 20 manage to make it to the recipient female’s fallopian tubes—where the hardy boys are made by a chemical signal from the woman to “fall asleep,” while she produces the egg that will soon be up for fertilization by the most stalwart survivor!

Many babies are conceived and born each day, but the process is so fraught with occasional risk and danger that each healthy birth should be celebrated as the miracle that it is, and we’re grateful to “Inside the Human Body” for reminding us not to take human life for granted.

Another section of the documentary focused on the “mistakes” that sometimes happen, like Siamese twins, cleft palates and other aberrations, due to wrong timing in the development of the human fetus. Once more, the cautionary section served as a reminder of the  occasional dangers involved in the process of human conception and birth, a lesson that viewers should take to heart as they appreciate and value the birth-related miracles in their own lives.

The docu special’s second installment, “First to Last,” takes the entire life span of a human being, and details how the human body performs one miracle after another to stay alive.

Then, “Building the Brain” zeroes in on the development of human perception and intelligence in the very young.

Finally, “Hostile World” focuses on how the body defends itself from viruses and other threats, and shows how state-of-the-art medical technology is able to repair the human body after it’s injured.

All told, “Inside the Human Body” doesn’t just share a lot of updated information, but it also leaves viewers with a deeper respect for the complexity of their physical makeup.

The hope is that, with this new knowledge, we will be motivated to lead healthier lives and stop taking our existence for granted.

P.S. Make sure you watch the docu special with your older kids, so that they too will benefit from its treasure trove of information, which is presented in truly creative and involving ways that appeal to both adults and children alike!

It would also be great if “Inside the Human Body” could be provided with a narrative track in Filipino, so that the four-chapter series can be viewed and appreciated by even more young Filipinos.

Its state-of-the-art visualizations really are worth more than a thousand words, and the respect for the value of human life that it fosters teaches a lesson that should be learned by everyone.